Much like Nathaniel this baby is proving to be a stubborn Austrian as well. Today is my "official due date" and no baby yet. I was induced 5 days after my due date with Nathaniel mostly because I requested that date as they would have waited another 2-3 more if needed. Both Anthony and I are hoping this little one comes on his/her own and that I won't have to be induced again. We were lucky with Nathaniel that the morning of my scheduled induction there was space for me at the hospital. We may not be so lucky again and may have to wait longer.
I am sitting here this evening drinking raspberry tea. One of my coworkers brought it in to work for me yesterday as it is supposed to help induce labor or at least help make the contractions stronger and more progressive. The cup I had yesterday actually eased the contractions I had been having during the night and morning. This evening it doesn't seem to be doing anything either way. BUT ... it tastes good and is a nice warm drink on a cold December evening.
As I sit here I have been thinking about how this year the day after Thanksgiving was much different than the day after Thanksgiving 6 years ago. We got engaged the day after Thanksgiving, November 25th of 2005. We spent the day together and then met friends at the Gasthof for drinks and dancing that evening. The following day we had dinner at the Glockenspiel with our parents and grandparents. This year we spent a long evening in the hospital and tried to have a semi-relaxing weekend at home while I was uncomfortable with a headache. Nathaniel on the other hand got to spend time with our extended family who he doesn't see often, but enjoys spending time with and talking about. He got the better end of the deal I guess.
Nathaniel's due date was around many family members' (alive and gone) birthdays. We were waiting to see if he would arrive on his Great Auntie Mary's birthday, his Great Uncle Anthony's birthday, his Great-Grandpa Edward's birthday, a couple second cousins' birthdays, or his Auntie Shireen's birthday/Grandparents' Anniversary. He decided to come out on his own day once the doctors helped get things started and that is just fine.
This little one is in a similar situation. Several family member birthdays have come and gone. My cousin's fiance, my aunt, Grandma Betts, and mom's cousin (all the same day), and now today is almost gone and was my great-grandfather's birthday. There are still more to come. I don't know that tomorrow is anyone in the family's birthday, but Saturday is my Uncle Russel's birthday as well as my Great-Uncle Henry's birthday. My initial prediction for baby's birthday was December 10th since Nathaniel is July 10th, so we'll see if this little one gets to share a birthday with his/her great-uncle and great-great uncle. However, maybe he/she wants a birthday of his/her own, in which case tomorrow is a fine day ;).
There are other predictions coming in about baby as well. My in-laws leave town early tomorrow morning for a long weekend in Portland, OR, so many of us are predicting that baby will arrive while they are gone. My latest prediction is that baby will decide to make an appearance on Monday. All of my paperwork has been turned in and processed for my doctoral program and I am scheduled for either a Skype or in person interview on Monday afternoon. My prediction is that I will be in labor on Monday and be unable to make that interview and have to reschedule it for later next week. Let's hope that is not the case, but this little one will determine his/her own entrance into the world.
The best thing is that whenever baby arrives we are ready. My substitute starts work on Monday, so I will be off and resting with Nathaniel next week if baby is not here yet. I am ready to be done at work anytime and my loose ends are tied up for the most part. Anthony's work stuff is tied up and he will be able to be at home with us from baby's arrival until after New Years' when he starts at the firm. We are ready to go. Nathaniel on the other hand may not be so ready, but I am hoping he will be excited once the baby is here. He continues to mostly say "baby brother" and I think most people think the baby is a boy (including Anthony and I), but we will all be pleasantly surprised with a girl. There are a few convinced the baby is a girl and hoping the baby is a girl. Hopefully within the next week we will know and have a wonderful new addition to our family.
I will be sure to keep everyone posted on baby's arrival and name and pictures when the time comes. I will also keep you all posted on my insanity with interviewing and maybe getting into the doctoral program. Much less exciting news than a baby, but news none the less.
Showing posts with label baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baby. Show all posts
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Thanksgiving Excitement, or Not So Much
This is the first time since the year we got married that we didn't write a "Thanksgiving Letter" and get it out on/before Thanksgiving. Our anniversary is November 4th, so the year we were married we just sent out a wedding picture for our holiday card. We both look forward to and LOVE Thanksgiving. Lots of good food and good times with family. No worries about gift giving or timing of everything. Just sit and eat and talk and have a good time. This year we decided to wait on the letter because of baby's arrival and we want to include that news in our holiday "thanks" this year.
This year was no exception. I am pregnant and love Thanksgiving food, so it was wonderful to feel guilt-free eating and snacking on 2 meals and lots of dessert on Thursday. We got Nathaniel down for his nap before our first meal, so it was also filled with child-free eating enjoyment. He slept for a decent nap, but was a bit overwhelmed by the 16 people there to welcome him from his nap. He enjoyed the time with "lots of people" before his nap as not everyone had arrived yet and sat well to take a picture with his Auntie Erin and cousin Nikolas as well as a picture with Mommy and Daddy for "Nathaniel's Baby's" baby book.
After Nathaniel's nap we headed to Anthony's parents' house for Thanksgiving in our pjs. It was nice to be relaxed and comfortable, especially being 38 weeks pregnant. Nathaniel was again a bit overwhelmed by the 18 people at this gathering, but enjoyed playing and showing off all his smarts to everyone. He crashed hard on Thursday night that is for sure.
We didn't do any Black Friday shopping this year. We just had a leisurely morning and then went to visit with Grandma and Grandpa D and Auntie Shireen. Anthony went with me to my OB appointment and that was good as I tripped and fell up the stairs on the way into the clinic and ended up in triage observation for 6 hours on Friday afternoon/evening. Not exactly what we had expected as we were planning to go to Anthony's aunt's house for dinner that evening. I came home having lost 6 hours and with a horrible headache. Thankfully Grandma and Grandpa D kept Nathaniel overnight so we were both able to get some extra sleep. It didn't really help my headache, but such is life. The headache has been going on and off since Friday, but the OB on call does not think it is anything to worry about unless it get worse or I start to have other symptoms. Let's hope all goes well and this little one stays in a little longer. Though the "nesting" instict hit me today and I did that rather than "work work", which is probably a good thing.
We got a Christmas Tree today - the earliest we have ever had one and even before we planned to get one today, I started to rearrange and move some of Nathaniel's toys upstairs so that we have more room in the living room and also give him another place to play. The upstairs in is good shape for him to play and I also wrapped all of his, the baby's, and my nephew's presents. I'm ahead of the game this year. Maybe I'm feeling like I should be more prepared for this little one's arrival. Though I think the sooner s/he arrives the easier it will be to get some things ready for Christmas later. Not sure if that makes sense to anyone else but me though.
A couple other notes about baby. We had an ultra sound on Wednesday and everything looked fine with the baby measuring on the small side (a couple weeks behind, but there is a large margin of error this late in the game). We got a front view picture of baby's face and in some ways baby looks like big brother Nathaniel, but as Nathaniel says, "baby has a squishy face". My amniotic fluid is on the low end of normal, so the baby doesn't have a lot of space to move in there. And one added thing to the whole 6 hours in triage. The baby's heartrate was over 150 and in the 160s most of the time. The old wives tale is that over 140 means a girl, under 140 means a boy. So while many of us still think we're having another boy, Auntie Erin is waiting for her niece to arrive and a few others are hopeful for a little girl as well.
We will soon find out and let you know what our new addition is and what his/her name is.
This year was no exception. I am pregnant and love Thanksgiving food, so it was wonderful to feel guilt-free eating and snacking on 2 meals and lots of dessert on Thursday. We got Nathaniel down for his nap before our first meal, so it was also filled with child-free eating enjoyment. He slept for a decent nap, but was a bit overwhelmed by the 16 people there to welcome him from his nap. He enjoyed the time with "lots of people" before his nap as not everyone had arrived yet and sat well to take a picture with his Auntie Erin and cousin Nikolas as well as a picture with Mommy and Daddy for "Nathaniel's Baby's" baby book.
After Nathaniel's nap we headed to Anthony's parents' house for Thanksgiving in our pjs. It was nice to be relaxed and comfortable, especially being 38 weeks pregnant. Nathaniel was again a bit overwhelmed by the 18 people at this gathering, but enjoyed playing and showing off all his smarts to everyone. He crashed hard on Thursday night that is for sure.
We didn't do any Black Friday shopping this year. We just had a leisurely morning and then went to visit with Grandma and Grandpa D and Auntie Shireen. Anthony went with me to my OB appointment and that was good as I tripped and fell up the stairs on the way into the clinic and ended up in triage observation for 6 hours on Friday afternoon/evening. Not exactly what we had expected as we were planning to go to Anthony's aunt's house for dinner that evening. I came home having lost 6 hours and with a horrible headache. Thankfully Grandma and Grandpa D kept Nathaniel overnight so we were both able to get some extra sleep. It didn't really help my headache, but such is life. The headache has been going on and off since Friday, but the OB on call does not think it is anything to worry about unless it get worse or I start to have other symptoms. Let's hope all goes well and this little one stays in a little longer. Though the "nesting" instict hit me today and I did that rather than "work work", which is probably a good thing.
We got a Christmas Tree today - the earliest we have ever had one and even before we planned to get one today, I started to rearrange and move some of Nathaniel's toys upstairs so that we have more room in the living room and also give him another place to play. The upstairs in is good shape for him to play and I also wrapped all of his, the baby's, and my nephew's presents. I'm ahead of the game this year. Maybe I'm feeling like I should be more prepared for this little one's arrival. Though I think the sooner s/he arrives the easier it will be to get some things ready for Christmas later. Not sure if that makes sense to anyone else but me though.
A couple other notes about baby. We had an ultra sound on Wednesday and everything looked fine with the baby measuring on the small side (a couple weeks behind, but there is a large margin of error this late in the game). We got a front view picture of baby's face and in some ways baby looks like big brother Nathaniel, but as Nathaniel says, "baby has a squishy face". My amniotic fluid is on the low end of normal, so the baby doesn't have a lot of space to move in there. And one added thing to the whole 6 hours in triage. The baby's heartrate was over 150 and in the 160s most of the time. The old wives tale is that over 140 means a girl, under 140 means a boy. So while many of us still think we're having another boy, Auntie Erin is waiting for her niece to arrive and a few others are hopeful for a little girl as well.
We will soon find out and let you know what our new addition is and what his/her name is.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
OTD - I must be nuts
Sitting in the recliner, completely uncomfortable, and updating my resume and writing a personal statement to go back to school for a clinical doctorate. I must be nuts.
The baby is kicking in all awkward ways. I am not sleeping partly due to cold/illness, partly due to a 2 year old with a cold/illness, and partly due to being less than 4 weeks from my due date. No more big bouts of contractions since last weekend thankfully, but I am getting very uncomfortable these days. It's just getting towards the end where I really do have to pay attention to changing my position frequently, which can be difficult for me, especially when I am in a rhythm of writing reports or doing billing or other paperwork.
I had my first of my last 4 weekly OB appointments on Friday. Yikes - we are in the home stretch. It was check-up as usual, but again with the end of this pregnancy I am measuring on the small side. This means another late term ultrasound in 1-2 weeks to made sure the baby is the right size. I think this one will just be like Nathaniel and it's all baby in there with not as much room/fluid to make me larger. I'm a small person. There is only so much space for this baby to grow. But I guess best to be on the safe side and have another ultrasound. We'll see if I spot anything this time to make me think boy or girl. I thought I spotted something when I had my late term ultrasound with Nathaniel, but then the ultrasound tech said something about long fingers, so I second guessed myself. I love the surprise anyway and getting to hear it come from Anthony is great too. My hemoglobin is low again, so I'm back to taking more iron supplements now and probably after baby arrives since I was low on iron after Nathaniel. No wonder I am so tired - overworked, very pregnant, and low iron count in my blood. The biggest news from the visit is that I am starting to dilate (a very small amount). This is no sign that the baby is coming early per my OB, but it is big news in this house because this is more than I progressed on my own with Nathaniel. Only time will tell when this little one decides to come, but hopefully not until after daddy's trial on Friday and after I get a bunch of work things settled in the next couple of weeks.
We are starting to feel ready around here however. We have the cradle back in our room and Nathaniel rocks it every day. It is the cradle that Anthony's grandfather made for his children. Grandma Kay slept in it, daddy slept in it, Nathaniel slept in it (among many other aunts, uncle, and cousins) and now this little one will sleep in it. My bags are packed with a exception of a few toiletries and the car seat is in the car. I think we are ready physically and getting there mentally. Nathaniel continues to want to "see the baby" every day - which means lifting up my shirt so that he can press his hands and face on my belly and fingers into my belly button as the baby is "inside there".
Here's an image that brought smiles and laughter to Anthony and I this morning. Nathaniel in his Twins helmet (too big for daddy's head even) walking around the living room playing and reading this morning as if it was typical to wear a baseball helmet while playing in the morning. Another smile that tells me things will turn out ok, even if I am nuts.
The baby is kicking in all awkward ways. I am not sleeping partly due to cold/illness, partly due to a 2 year old with a cold/illness, and partly due to being less than 4 weeks from my due date. No more big bouts of contractions since last weekend thankfully, but I am getting very uncomfortable these days. It's just getting towards the end where I really do have to pay attention to changing my position frequently, which can be difficult for me, especially when I am in a rhythm of writing reports or doing billing or other paperwork.
I had my first of my last 4 weekly OB appointments on Friday. Yikes - we are in the home stretch. It was check-up as usual, but again with the end of this pregnancy I am measuring on the small side. This means another late term ultrasound in 1-2 weeks to made sure the baby is the right size. I think this one will just be like Nathaniel and it's all baby in there with not as much room/fluid to make me larger. I'm a small person. There is only so much space for this baby to grow. But I guess best to be on the safe side and have another ultrasound. We'll see if I spot anything this time to make me think boy or girl. I thought I spotted something when I had my late term ultrasound with Nathaniel, but then the ultrasound tech said something about long fingers, so I second guessed myself. I love the surprise anyway and getting to hear it come from Anthony is great too. My hemoglobin is low again, so I'm back to taking more iron supplements now and probably after baby arrives since I was low on iron after Nathaniel. No wonder I am so tired - overworked, very pregnant, and low iron count in my blood. The biggest news from the visit is that I am starting to dilate (a very small amount). This is no sign that the baby is coming early per my OB, but it is big news in this house because this is more than I progressed on my own with Nathaniel. Only time will tell when this little one decides to come, but hopefully not until after daddy's trial on Friday and after I get a bunch of work things settled in the next couple of weeks.
We are starting to feel ready around here however. We have the cradle back in our room and Nathaniel rocks it every day. It is the cradle that Anthony's grandfather made for his children. Grandma Kay slept in it, daddy slept in it, Nathaniel slept in it (among many other aunts, uncle, and cousins) and now this little one will sleep in it. My bags are packed with a exception of a few toiletries and the car seat is in the car. I think we are ready physically and getting there mentally. Nathaniel continues to want to "see the baby" every day - which means lifting up my shirt so that he can press his hands and face on my belly and fingers into my belly button as the baby is "inside there".
Here's an image that brought smiles and laughter to Anthony and I this morning. Nathaniel in his Twins helmet (too big for daddy's head even) walking around the living room playing and reading this morning as if it was typical to wear a baseball helmet while playing in the morning. Another smile that tells me things will turn out ok, even if I am nuts.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Freaking Out - HELP!
We had our 5th anniversary yesterday. It was a long day at work writing reports, watching the tarps fall down towards my head again (a second failed effort at increased safety from falling ceiling tiles in our office), and then a wonderful night out. I took the bus and then the light rail downtown to meet Anthony outside City Hall and we headed to the Westin. I was not very impressed by the 4 star hotel in the end (noisy noisy hall at all hours of the night and a shower faucet that was impossible to turn on - one thing I can blame the hotel for the other I can't). After we checked in, we did have a lovely evening.
It was a gorgeous fall night to walk around downtown. It wasn't quite as warm as the day we got married, but still a nice night for a walk around downtown. We had a delicious dinner at McCormick's with no room for dessert and then headed to the deserted block E for a movie. There were about 6 other people in the theater as we watched Moneyball. It was a very enjoyable movie for both of us. It got out early enough to take the skyway back to the hotel and we relaxed before turning in late for us (10:30 pm). We were both sound out and ready for a good night's sleep in a king sized bed with the ability to sleep in past 7 am when a women and her yippy dogs made noise in the hall outside our room for 15+ minutes at nearly 2 am. I was then awake for the next 2 hours with contractions on and off. I finally made it back to sleep between 3:30 and 4. Not exactly the restful night I was looking for and of course my brain started to freak out quickly.
I am 5 weeks away from my due date and I was overdue with Nathaniel, so I was just in the mindset that this time around would be similar. I had planned to work even past my due date in order to get things set before going on maternity leave. Last night, got my mind in a whirlwind of chaos. I started thinking about all the due process, billing, and prep I have to do in the next 2 weeks (and more so was planning to do in the next 2 weeks). I started to think that I should try to get things done this weekend just in case this baby decides to come early. I started to think about the scramble to get notes ready for my sub and realized 2 am was not the time to think about it. We got some rest, and each took a nice long shower in the "heavenly shower" with dual shower heads at the Westin. We took the train back home and went out for a very late brunch. We headed to my folks' house to see Nathaniel and once he was down for a nap, I went online to start working on the due process, billing, etc that was making me freak out and what do I find, but that the website is unavailable. Now at 2 am I have a new email from that website about a compliance issue, but now this afternoon I can't get onto the website. This is very irritating and making me more insane. I think I need to just let it go, but I'm so not that type of person.
On a much lighter note, Nathaniel cheers me up. He is doing a lot of singing lately and seems to love to sing and also is saying several nursery rhymes. He is very interested in making "movies" of himself on mommy and daddy's phones so that he can watch himself sing and then sing along. If ever I need to cheer up, that is the easiest way for me to do it - just turn on my little man singing the ABCs, wheels on the bus, Roly Poly, Teddy Bear, 3 little fish (some of them "fast too").
It was a gorgeous fall night to walk around downtown. It wasn't quite as warm as the day we got married, but still a nice night for a walk around downtown. We had a delicious dinner at McCormick's with no room for dessert and then headed to the deserted block E for a movie. There were about 6 other people in the theater as we watched Moneyball. It was a very enjoyable movie for both of us. It got out early enough to take the skyway back to the hotel and we relaxed before turning in late for us (10:30 pm). We were both sound out and ready for a good night's sleep in a king sized bed with the ability to sleep in past 7 am when a women and her yippy dogs made noise in the hall outside our room for 15+ minutes at nearly 2 am. I was then awake for the next 2 hours with contractions on and off. I finally made it back to sleep between 3:30 and 4. Not exactly the restful night I was looking for and of course my brain started to freak out quickly.
I am 5 weeks away from my due date and I was overdue with Nathaniel, so I was just in the mindset that this time around would be similar. I had planned to work even past my due date in order to get things set before going on maternity leave. Last night, got my mind in a whirlwind of chaos. I started thinking about all the due process, billing, and prep I have to do in the next 2 weeks (and more so was planning to do in the next 2 weeks). I started to think that I should try to get things done this weekend just in case this baby decides to come early. I started to think about the scramble to get notes ready for my sub and realized 2 am was not the time to think about it. We got some rest, and each took a nice long shower in the "heavenly shower" with dual shower heads at the Westin. We took the train back home and went out for a very late brunch. We headed to my folks' house to see Nathaniel and once he was down for a nap, I went online to start working on the due process, billing, etc that was making me freak out and what do I find, but that the website is unavailable. Now at 2 am I have a new email from that website about a compliance issue, but now this afternoon I can't get onto the website. This is very irritating and making me more insane. I think I need to just let it go, but I'm so not that type of person.
On a much lighter note, Nathaniel cheers me up. He is doing a lot of singing lately and seems to love to sing and also is saying several nursery rhymes. He is very interested in making "movies" of himself on mommy and daddy's phones so that he can watch himself sing and then sing along. If ever I need to cheer up, that is the easiest way for me to do it - just turn on my little man singing the ABCs, wheels on the bus, Roly Poly, Teddy Bear, 3 little fish (some of them "fast too").
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